The Games People Play

I was scrolling through the television menu looking for something to watch. Late at night, tucked away on one of ESPN’s many channels was something that I’d never seen before, something I didn’t even know existed until that moment. And just like that, I was watching adult men pillow fighting on national TV. Lest you think that the sport of pillow fighting is a wishy-washy game between teenagers at a slumber party, the Pillow Fight Championship (PFC) is “the world’s first professional pillow fighting league featuring professional fighters engaging in intense, fast-paced and all-ages friendly combat unrivaled by any other professional sports entertainment or fighting organization”, according to the official website. It’s even an international sport! This got me wondering about what else I’ve been missing. That brought me to World Chase Tag, “the first and only global league for competitive tag.” Then, I come to find out that pre-pandemic, the Hide and Seek World Championships were held annually in a small, abandoned village in Italy up until a few years ago. In my cursory research, I found that the Musical Chairs World Championship was also a thing for a time in the 2010s. Under the guise of a game show, there is fierce competition on display in the three seasons of “Floor is Lava” streaming on Netflix. I lost my first tooth in a solitary game of the floor is lava when I was about four years old. The object of the game is to circumnavigate the room without touching the floor. I was doing fine until I stepped on the rocking chair and catapulted mouth-first into a console table. I was crying about the blood, the pain, and the missing tooth. If only I had known that one day, it might be possible to turn pro in one of many childhood pastimes, I coulda been a contender. But, alas, there is no crying in duck duck goose.

Stay safe and healthy,

Tracy Jacobs

In January and February, Osher will have some great options for you to enjoy through the winter months. As usual, we will have several individual lectures on different topics scheduled throughout January and February. The Winter Lectures are free and open to both Osher members and non-members.

We are also excited to announce that Osher at Towson University members will have an opportunity to enroll in 6-week online courses through Osher Online, online courses run by the National Resource Center for Osher Institutes. Membership is required to participate in the Osher Online courses.

Keep an eye out for both the Winter Lecture schedule and the Osher Online winter courses—both coming out soon!